Champions League: Ranking All 36 Teams by Fixture Difficulty in the League Phase

Champions League: Fixture Difficulty for All 36 Teams in the League Phase

The initial league phase draw on Thursday evening has set the stage for all 36 Champions League clubs, ranked now according to how tough their first eight matches look.

European football’s top competition kicks off on September 8, with Paris Saint-Germain aiming to secure a third straight title and further establish themselves as arguably the best team worldwide. Their path won’t be easy, facing rivals such as Arsenal, the Premier League champions and last season’s finalists, alongside Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid.

This third season under the new league-phase format will reveal early which teams can contend for the trophy. Some clubs have drawn tougher opponents than others, making their journeys more challenging right from the start.

Teams with the Easiest Fixtures (Ranked 36-28)

VfB Stuttgart tops the list with the easiest fixture list based on opponents’ average elo rating, a system measuring team strength. Their score of -48 places them well ahead of Inter Milan at 35th (-36), despite having to face tough teams like Italian champions, Atletico Madrid, and Galatasaray. This shows no path is truly simple in Europe.

Real Madrid, managed by Jose Mourinho, come in third easiest at -28, tied with Shakhtar Donetsk. Shakhtar faces extra challenges playing all matches away due to hosting arrangements at Chelsea.

Other clubs with relatively smooth runs include LASK (-21), Fenerbahce (-18), and Porto (-18). Both Slovan Bratislava and Viking hope their draws fuel historic campaigns; Viking participate in the Champions League initial phase for the first time.

• Rank 36: VfB Stuttgart – Opponent's Average Elo Rating: -48
• Rank 35: Inter Milan – -36
• Rank 34: Real Madrid – -28
• Rank 33: Shakhtar Donetsk – -28
• Rank 32: LASK – -21
• Rank 31: Fenerbahce – -18
• Rank 30: Porto – -18
• Rank 29: Slovan Bratislava – -17
• Rank 28: Viking – -16

Mid-Range Difficulty Teams (Ranked 27-19)

Real Betis and AEK Athens fall into the easier half of this group, with AEK cruising through playoffs after a 4-0 win over Levski Sofia. Liverpool enjoys the easiest run among English clubs, with an opponent average rating of -9, helping new coach Andoni Iraola ease into the competition. Barcelona shares that same rating.

Roma (-8) and PSV (-6) face slightly tougher starts. Borussia Dortmund hopes their only stronger opponents, Arsenal and Inter Milan, won’t stop their progress to the knockout rounds.

Sporting CP sits mid-table with an average opponent rating of zero, facing Manchester’s two teams and Barcelona, but also clubs like RC Lens and LASK that could offer some relief.

• Rank 27: Real Betis – -14
• Rank 26: AEK Athens – -10
• Rank 25: Liverpool – -9
• Rank 24: Barcelona – -9
• Rank 23: Roma – -8
• Rank 22: PSV – -6
• Rank 21: RB Leipzig – -2
• Rank 20: Borussia Dortmund – -1
• Rank 19: Sporting CP – 0

Higher Difficulty Teams (Ranked 18-10)

Lille and Napoli both face opponents averaging +3 in elo score, while Aston Villa ranks 16th hardest as they return to top-tier European football. Unai Emery’s squad must overcome a tough schedule after a poor season start and little transfer success.

Galatasaray and Arsenal share a +7 rating, with many expecting Arsenal to improve on last season and possibly claim their first major European title. Mikel Arteta will hope recent domestic success sparks more trophies.

Rounding out this section are Feyenoord, Villarreal, Bayern Munich, and holders Paris Saint-Germain. PSG’s fixtures include tough matches against Spanish, Turkish, and Slovakian champions, plus trips to Manchester City, Aston Villa, and surprise package Como.

• Rank 18: Lille – +3
• Rank 17: Napoli – +3
• Rank 16: Aston Villa – +5
• Rank 15: Galatasaray – +7
• Rank 14: Arsenal – +7
• Rank 13: Feyenoord – +11
• Rank 12: Villarreal – +11
• Rank 11: Bayern Munich – +11
• Rank 10: Paris Saint-Germain – +12

Most Challenging Fixtures (Ranked 9-1)

Slavia Prague relies on their intimidating home crowd during one of the toughest league phases, while Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone, fresh from a semi-final run last year, believe they can upset any predictions.

Bodo/Glimt stunned last season but face a much harder schedule this time. Clubs like Manchester United, Como, and Club Brugge may struggle due to limited recent Champions League experience.

RC Lens comes in third most difficult, while Manchester City has the second toughest run. Stars like Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo will need to perform at their best to avoid a tricky knockout bracket. Meanwhile, debutants Sabah, founded just nine years ago, face perhaps an impossible task.

• Rank 9: Slavia Prague – +12
• Rank 8: Atletico Madrid – +13
• Rank 7: Bodo/Glimt – +13
• Rank 6: Manchester United – +16
• Rank 5: Como – +25
• Rank 4: Club Brugge – +26
• Rank 3: RC Lens – +33
• Rank 2: Manchester City – +39
• Rank 1: Sabah – +42